The day after the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council that should discuss implementation plans in the field of European Defence, the European Federalists will bring together MEPs, EU officials and defence experts from different backgrounds to explore the political and institutional aspects of the proposals on the table as well as the related military/operational and industrial issues. Focus will be on how to bridge needs and aspirations with capabilities and political challenges.

Security and defence are once again high on the European agenda. Increasing security threats at the EU borders, and the result of the UK referendum on Brexit, have prompted initiatives to advance European security and defence cooperation. Proposals have been put forward by the High Representative in the new EU Global Strategy as well as jointly by the German and French governments and the Italian government. The European Parliament is working on a report on a European Defence Union and the European Commission is preparing a European Defence Action Plan. Ideas include a European Military Headquarter, the scale-up of EUROCORPS, permanent own European forces, measures to foster cooperation and inter-operability of national forces as well as incentives to the defence industry and funding for R&D projects.